Story & Photos by Mike Lee

A resident banged on a pan with an iron spoon from a highrise apartment window above Seventh Avenue in defiance of President Donald Trump’s tyranny. Their spirits uplifted, thousands of marchers on the street below cheered in response, raising their fists toward the sky.

Under a bright sun that masked a cold spring afternoon, DC 37 members and activists protested the Trump administration and its billionaire allies in the third nationwide “No Kings” march.

The March 28 protest was one of hundreds held throughout the United States, including a dozen rallies and marches across all five boroughs and the New York City metropolitan area.

The No Kings movement is an integral part of the resistance against the Trump administration’s policies, particularly the militarizing of domestic policy issues such as immigration, the war in Iran, and deep cuts to vital social services and the federal public workforce.

Collectively, Trump’s hurtful policies have created an atmosphere of fear and deep division throughout the country. The No Kings march gives a platform for millions of Americans to reaffirm the country’s core values of equality and justice.

As the estimated 100,000 marchers made their way through midtown Manhattan from Central Park to 34th Street, DC 37 members spoke about their motives for making their presence felt.

Among them was Marie Betancourt, a Local 3005 member and Policy Analyst at the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, who began her position just three weeks prior, making the No Kings March her first political action as a DC 37 member.

“A reason why I started working was to serve the people of New York City and the communities under threat now,” Betancourt said. “I see being here as an extension of my work advocating for the communities I serve.”

Joining Betancourt was Darnley Simon, a SSEU Local 371 member and Procurement Analyst at the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.

“It’s important to be a part of what is going on in America because what is going on is not right,” Simon said. “We must use our voice to make sure that the higher-ups see that they are totally out of touch with the working class.”

Why We Participated: DC 37 Members Speak Out

Alexandra Idrovo, Local 372 School Crossing Guard: “Because all unions must get together against this fight, fight against ICE, fight against these wars that we shouldn’t be a part of and didn’t consent to, and we are paying for.”

Michelle Young, SSEU Local 371 member and Senior Police Administrative Aide: “We need to fight for our rights as civilian workers because we’re really controlling the government. What we say, they will listen. And if they don’t, we must come out in numbers to make them realize we need to be heard as is our right as citizens.”

Zane Warren Williams, Local 1407 member and Associate Retirement Benefit Examiner Level 1 at NYCERS: “I am here to protest the current administration. We are here because we’re against the war in Iran, and this administration is criminalizing its people instead of helping us.”

This article originally appeared in the April-June 2026 issue of PEPTalk Magazine.